"Army of Two: The 40th Day" is a decided upgrade over its predecessor as it improves in just about every way imaginable without tinkering too much the with basic co-op theme. You star as either Tyson Rios or Elliot Salem, for hire mercenaries dropped into the middle of Shanghai on what was supposed to be a simple mission but quickly disintegrates into a cluster-cuss as the city is blown apart by a widespread terrorist attack.

For "The 40th Day," EA Montreal has added a morality system that comes into play at crucial moments where you (or your companion) can decided between two options (not necessarily "good" and "evil") that have a direct impact on the events that follow. They've also added a civilian element. As you make your way through the city you'll occasionally come across hostage situations where you can choose to try and save the civilians or see them as necessary casualties as you blast your way through the enemy lines.

The customization of weapons (and the look of your masks) has been improved as well as you'll be able to upgrade various weapons and "pimp" them out with style. Unfortunately, you are still limited to carry only one gun per weapon type (machine gun, pistol etc.) so be careful what you pick up.

While it is possible to play the game with an AI partner, I found that once I grasped the general gameplay, sticking with a computer-controlled companion just didn't match up to playing with whomever I was teamed up with online. Maybe its because I hate having to direct traffic (telling the AI partner to charge in, or sniper), particularly when someone is shooting at me.

Controls have been drastically simplified. Pretty much anything can be done with the pressing of one button. Just don't shut your brain completely off because you'll still have to use a fair amount of strategy to make your way out of the city.

If you like third-person shooters, particularly those with a nice set of co-op features and all the traditional online multiplayer modes, and don't care about a detailed plot or sense of purpose beyond survival "Army of Two: The 40th Day" comes highly recommended. If you want something with a strong narrative and a sense of character development look elsewhere.